Chapter 899
Hae-yeon deliberately spoke with cold detachment.
"You are no longer the Grand Duke of this palace, are you?"
"Didn't you say you would step forward if any mishap befell the Wind God Palace?"
Bu Eun-seol replied with utmost sincerity.
"If this isn't a mishap, then what is?"
"There's no need. This palace was always fated... to fade into the annals of history."
Hae-yeon's eyes were filled with resignation.
"By now, the Wind God Palace has likely already crumbled."
"It hasn't."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was firm.
"The elite forces of the Martial Soul Society have already arrived at the Wind God Palace."
"What did you just say?"
"I said the Martial Soul Society's forces have reached the Wind God Palace."
Hae-yeon's expression turned blank.
"Why would the Martial Soul Society...?"
"We'll discuss that later."
Bu Eun-seol removed his outer robe and draped it over Hae-yeon's shoulders.
Then he turned and strode toward the Wind Person.
"To think one of the Eight Heavenly Servants would stoop so low as to covet another's power... How pitiful the Servants of the True Demon have become."
Despite Bu Eun-seol's furious glare and the sharp shockwaves radiating from his entire body, the Wind Person only chuckled.
"Ah, so you're that upstart they call the Martial Soul Lord."
Recognizing Bu Eun-seol at a glance, the Wind Person smirked.
"But just because you killed the Spear Master doesn't mean you can act arrogantly before the Lord of Heaven."
He remained composed, even knowing Bu Eun-seol had slain the Spear Master.
"That mute fool, the Spear Master—like the Fist Adept—was too obsessed with martial arts. The true power of Heaven lies not in martial techniques."
His sharp gaze swept over Bu Eun-seol as he curled his lips.
"And mobilizing the Martial Soul Society... That confirms you're the real Society Leader."
Initially, Dae Gu-hwi of the Beast Division had temporarily taken the role of Society Leader, followed by Noe Bi-hon of the Swift Thunder Corps.
But those in the martial world had long suspected there was another true leader.
Someone who concealed their identity behind puppet leaders.
It was impossible for figures like Dae Gu-hwi or Noe Bi-hon—who began as division commanders—to be the real leader.
At one point, due to his close ties with the Martial Soul Society's division leaders and his title, suspicions arose that Bu Eun-seol, the Martial Soul Lord, might be the true leader.
Countless intelligence organizations investigated, trying to uncover the truth.
Yet it was confirmed that Bu Eun-seol had no connection to the Martial Soul Society whatsoever.
—Just who is the Martial Soul Society Leader?
Some claimed it was a genius from a past era; others said it was a figure from the commercial world.
The only certainty was that unless the Society Leader revealed themselves, no one would ever know their identity.
So how could Bu Eun-seol mobilize the Martial Soul Society's forces for the Wind God Palace?
Wasn't that tantamount to declaring himself the Society Leader?
"Does it not matter if your secret is exposed?"
"You'll be dead soon anyway."
As Bu Eun-seol sneered, the Wind Person grinned and extended his hand.
"Heh. Struggle all you want. I'll enjoy the show."
Whoosh!
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol unleashed Finger Wind, manipulating the surrounding rocks and trees.
Then, a transparent barrier began descending from the sky.
He had activated the Life-and-Death Combat Formation, sealing off a three-hundred-foot radius completely.
"Wait outside for a while."
Fwoosh.
Using his internal energy, Bu Eun-seol gently pushed Hae-yeon—still wearing a dazed expression—outside the formation.
"Bu Eun-seol!"
Her short cry was cut off as the formation solidified.
Hiss—hiss—!
Nine sharp streams of energy swirled around Bu Eun-seol's body like a raging gale.
With the Life-and-Death Combat Formation in place, he could unleash his full power without restraint.
His first move was the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
"How do you know the Martial Emperor's techniques?!"
Whether the Wind Person was shocked or not didn't matter.
Bu Eun-seol ignored him, infusing the Thirteenfold Qi Induction's swirling energy with Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
Though he hadn't yet reached the Great Origin Realm, the combination of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction and Wind & Cloud Divine Qi—
Swish! Swish!
—expanded the range of his energy to over a hundred feet.
"Heh... Hahahaha!"
The Wind Person burst into mad laughter upon sensing the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi within the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
"So you're the current Grand Duke of the Wind God Palace!"
Slash! Slash!
Even as the sharp energy tore across his cheek, the Wind Person crossed his arms and smiled.
"Impressive technique."
Then he lightly extended his index and middle fingers.
Boom!
A deafening bell-like sound reverberated as Bu Eun-seol's body shuddered violently.
Shockingly, transcending the constraints of time and space, the sharp Finger Wind struck him directly.
But Bu Eun-seol didn't stand idle.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!
The moment he was hit, he unleashed the nine swirling energy streams—each spanning over a hundred feet—in intricate, unpredictable angles.
Thud.
In an instant, Wind Person floated into the air, evading the barrage of energy strikes as if they were mere illusions.
It wasn't deliberate dodging—each time an attack touched his body, he was either pushed far back or spun away effortlessly.
A unique and mystical technique, eerily similar to the legendary movement art of the Demonic Path, Floating Shadow Shifting Form.
Thunk! Thunk!
Meanwhile, Wind Person flicked his fingers repeatedly.
Each time, Bu Eun-seol's body trembled violently.
The Finger Wind he unleashed could neither be sensed nor dodged.
And with every strike, Bu Eun-seol's flesh resonated like a massive temple bell.
Had his internal energy been insufficient, or his Body Protection True Qi weaker?
This technique alone would have shattered his body from the inside out.
Sssk! Sssk!
Despite being battered relentlessly, Bu Eun-seol calmly fired off streams of Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
Yet not a single one reached Wind Person's body—and even when one miraculously struck, it inflicted no damage.
His body moved like a leaf in the wind.
The slightest breeze sent him drifting back, effortlessly dispersing the force of any attack.
Thunk! Thunk!
In contrast, with each Finger Wind strike, the tremors rippling through Bu Eun-seol's body grew stronger.
No matter how much Body Protection True Qi shielded him, the damage was accumulating.
Splat!
Before he knew it, Wind Person's Finger Wind began leaving sharp gashes on Bu Eun-seol's skin.
Not only could it send tremors through the body—it could also take on a razor-sharp form, slicing flesh with precision.
"No matter how much you struggle, you cannot defeat the Lord of Heaven."
Just as Wind Person sneered, watching blood trickle from the wound on Bu Eun-seol's cheek—
Flash!
A sudden burst of light, and countless sword energies in the shape of crosses engulfed Wind Person's surroundings.
Bu Eun-seol had unleashed Waning Moon Morning Star.
He had sealed off every possible space Wind Person could move in, trapping him in a cage of crisscrossing sword energy.
Thud.
But it was the same as before.
Even confined in an inescapable space—
Wind Person's body drifted like a floating leaf, untouched by the attacks.
Haaa...
White mist began rising from Bu Eun-seol's body as he altered his sword technique.
Simultaneously, the three-hundred-foot space trapped within Thirteenfold Qi Induction filled with dense fog.
The ninth form of Formless Heavenly Flow, imbued with the Way of Nature—Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes.
Whoooosh!
The mist carried a power that sought to restore all things to their natural state.
But Wind Person wielded the most natural force of all—the wind itself.
The fog couldn't even touch him. Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes couldn't threaten him, let alone defeat him.
Thunk! Thunk!
Meanwhile, with every flick of Wind Person's fingers, Bu Eun-seol's body now visibly shook.
The mysterious vibrations, transcending the constraints of space, were finally breaking through his Body Protection True Qi.
'No wonder he could disregard Fist Adept and Spear Master.'
Wind Person hadn't cultivated some supreme martial art, nor did he possess overwhelming destructive power.
But he could evade any attack—and his Finger Wind was impossible to dodge.
If this continued, Bu Eun-seol's organs and bones would shatter completely, leaving him no choice but death.
Cough.
Finally stopping his assault, Bu Eun-seol wiped a trickle of crimson blood from his lips.
The ceaseless tremors had inflicted deep internal injuries.
Wind Person smirked in triumph.
"Have you given up now?"
"Given up?"
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a faint smile. Wind Person clicked his tongue.
"Your pride is something else."
"..."
"In about a quarter of an hour, your body will burst apart and you will die."
It wasn't an empty threat.
If the Finger Wind kept shaking him apart, his body would be destroyed from within.
"Now then..."
Click.
Bu Eun-seol planted Ink Soul Sword firmly in front of him and murmured:
"Let's end this."
"You still have the composure to—"
Wind Person's face suddenly stiffened mid-sentence.
Only now did he realize—
The transparent wind violently swirling around them, spanning hundreds of feet.
Thirteenfold Qi Induction's storm was still raging.
"True Void."
Wind Person's eyes widened in realization.
All this time, Bu Eun-seol hadn't been firing sword energies by merging Thirteenfold Qi Induction with Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
No—
He had been creating the illusion of relentless attacks while spinning at extreme speeds, generating both the storm and the vibrations.
Simultaneously, he had been carving microscopic gaps in the Life-and-Death Combat Formation, forcibly expelling all air—
Turning this space into a near-perfect vacuum.
And now, as the vacuum reached suffocating intensity—
Thwip!
Bu Eun-seol flicked a strand of Sword Qi lightly.
This time, Wind Person could no longer evade perfectly—a sharp wound split open across his cheek.
As blood welled at his fingertips, Wind Person roared in fury.
"You bastard!"
"How amusing."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled in a cold sneer.
"Strutting around like some god who commands the wind, but in the end, you were just a rat hiding behind its power."
Indeed, Wind Person's ability to evade every attack had also relied on manipulating the wind's attributes.
By reshaping the Life-and-Death Combat Formation to expel air outward,
and using Wind & Cloud Divine Qi alongside the Thirteenfold Qi Induction to gradually drain the space into a near-vacuum,
Bu Eun-seol had stripped him of his means to deflect.
Thud!
Wind Person unleashed another shockwave, but unlike before, it barely grazed Bu Eun-seol's body.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
His expression stiff, Wind Person suddenly broke into slow, mocking applause.
"Impressive. Even while maintaining the formation, you devised such a clever stratagem to corner this Lord of Heaven."
"..."
"And that mastery over Wind & Cloud Divine Qi—it's no exaggeration to call you the Wind God himself."
His gaze swept over the thinning air before he abruptly crouched low.
"Enough games."
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted as Wind Person's entire body ignited in crimson flames.
Flash!
In the same instant, he vanished—only for a streak of scarlet light to slash across Bu Eun-seol's body.
Shhk—
A deep gash tore open Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
"If there's no air left, then I'll simply become the wind myself."
Reappearing, Wind Person smirked with unshaken confidence.
He had detonated the energy within his body,
transforming himself into a hurricane—moving at blinding speed, like light itself.
BOOM! BOOM!
A streak of crimson lightning, he began carving through Bu Eun-seol's defenses.
No matter how far Bu Eun-seol expanded his extrasensory perception or how swiftly he deployed Ultimate Speed Shadowless,
he couldn't fully block the attacks of a man who had become the wind itself by unleashing every ounce of his power.
Even when a strike barely landed, Wind Person simply shifted against the force,
leaving him unscathed.
"Hahaha! How does it feel?!"
Wind Person laughed arrogantly as Bu Eun-seol struggled helplessly.
"Now you're finally—"
But his words choked off.
His palm had turned pitch black.
"Poison?!"
"Now that you've lost the power to deflect everything, you can't stop the poison from taking hold."
From the start, Bu Eun-seol had abandoned the idea of cutting Wind Person down.
A master who had reached the pinnacle of wind manipulation—one even capable of suppressing the Wind God—would never fall to conventional attacks.
That left only one option:
Melt his flesh with a poison potent enough to deliver a fatal blow.
"You think mere poison will work on me?"
Wind Person barked out a laugh.
"Hehehe. You must not have ventured through the Wind God's Path in the Wind God Palace."
Not only was Wind Person a sovereign of wind—he was also a master of poison.
Otherwise, he could never have crafted the gates of the Wind God's Path, which exponentially amplified Internal Power through toxins.
"I know."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze pinned him coldly.
"I've walked it myself."
"...What?"
"The gates weren't made by the greatest Poison Person."
Black blood trickled from Wind Person's nostrils.
He stared at it, bewildered.
"This Lord of Heaven is immune to all poisons—how...?"
"That's the flaw in 'immunity.'"
Bu Eun-seol's smile was faint.
"I, too, was once immune—until the venom of the One-Horned Flood Dragon breached it."
"The One-Horned Flood Dragon?!"
Wind Person's eyes bulged.
That legendary spirit beast said to live ten thousand years—had this brat absorbed its poison?!
"Even if it's the One-Horned Flood Dragon's venom, this Lord of Heaven—"
"So I added two more poisons of equal potency."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was flat.
"Enough to overwhelm even a lifelong master of poison arts."
"Sage Among Poisons?!"
Wind Person's face contorted in shock.
Since when had this whelp from the Demon Hall reached such a realm?!
"You may have perfected the method to amplify Internal Power with poison, but you never attained the Sage's mastery, did you?"
Back then, Bu Eun-seol hadn't even touched the threshold of the Sage Among Poisons and had nearly succumbed to poisoning.
But now, his body—forged by the fusion of three supreme venoms—could shrug off even the toxins of the Wind God's Path.
In other words, he had discerned the truth:
The one who crafted the gates of the Wind God's Path was no Sage Among Poisons.
Bu Eun-seol's journey through the martial world had always been,
at its core, a cycle of dissecting complex, inscrutable problems—
and carving out solutions.
Particularly, his ability to deeply observe situations entangled with multiple factors, predict potential variables, and unravel them—
This was a skill that could nearly rival even the Heavenly Mechanism Star, who was said to possess intelligence beyond imagination.
Shiver.
Only then did the Wind Person realize.
That the young man before him was an existence beyond his reach.
A Divine Being wielding superhuman wisdom and martial arts.
"Impossible!"
BOOM!
Enraged, the Wind Person drew forth his full power, and his body began to burn like the sun.
He detonated every ounce of strength and even his Primordial Essence True Qi accumulated within his body.
"Heh heh heh..."
As if resolved for Mutual Destruction, the Wind Person let out a sinister laugh and spoke.
"Soon, this body will become an unstoppable projectile—one that no attack can hinder and no method can block—"
His words did not continue.
Flash!
A brilliant Five-Colored Radiance erupted—
Sizzle.
—and swallowed the space where the Wind Person stood.
From the moment he had begun arrogantly detonating his energy, Bu Eun-seol had been gathering Harmonization.
Whoosh.
Along with the light stretching toward the heavens, the Wind Person's form was completely annihilated.
Hiss.
Only pale smoke rose from the ground where the Harmonization had grazed.
Not a single trace remained in this world to prove he had ever existed.
Though the Wind Person had once ruled over the martial world, manipulating the Wind God Palace as he pleased—his end was utterly meaningless.
"His greatest flaw was posing as an Absolute Master while remaining sealed away all this time."
Bu Eun-seol let out a cold snort as he gazed at the empty space where the Wind Person had vanished.
The Wind Person's abilities were, without exaggeration, the strongest among the Eight Heavenly Servants he had faced so far.
But the truth was, the Eight Heavenly Servants all shared one fatal weakness.
Without exception, they were far too confident in their own abilities.
And because they had been bound by Restrictive Seals, unable to appear in the Martial World, they were critically lacking in combat experience.
For ages, they had remained hidden from the Rivers and Lakes.
Without experiencing the blood-soaked crucible of battle, they had peacefully maintained their existence.
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol was battle-hardened, having endured countless life-and-death battles.
Unaware that their combat methods and instincts were incomparable, the Wind Person had made a fatal mistake—
Casually detonating his energy to prepare a final strike in the face of a mortal enemy.
'If among the Eight Heavenly Servants, there were those who wielded Supernatural Abilities like the Wind Person yet were also battle-seasoned veterans... they would have been formidable opponents.'
Unlike the Fist Adept and the Spear Master, who specialized in martial arts, the Wind Person displayed abilities akin to the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
And in truth, his power had seemed nearly invincible.
Had the Wind Person not only possessed that mysterious strength but also the experience of countless battles—
It truly would have been a difficult fight.
Drip.
As the Wind Person vanished, the Life-and-Death Combat Formation gradually dissolved.
"Bu Eun-seol!"
The moment the formation disappeared, Hae-yeon, who had been waiting outside, rushed toward him in a panic.
"Are you unharmed?"
Meeting her worried gaze, Bu Eun-seol nodded calmly.
"Of course."
"What in the world happened?"
Hae-yeon asked with an expression of utter disbelief.
"How did you know I was here? How did you bring troops into the palace?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
And recalled the memory of sending Hae-yeon away at the Daru Tea House.
'What kind of nonsense did I say back then?'
Bu Eun-seol pressed a hand to his forehead.
Simply because his own heart was heavy—
Had he really lashed out at Hae-yeon, who had nothing to do with it, and wounded her?
'And besides... something was wrong with her.'
He didn't even need to delve into her Spirit and Mind.
She was that pure of a person.
Just as she had said, she was a woman with the memories of a twenty-year-old, even though time had passed.
Yet in her eyes, which had always shimmered with bright cheerfulness, an endless darkness now loomed.
Belatedly regaining his senses, Bu Eun-seol had instinctively realized—
Something had gone terribly wrong for Hae-yeon.
—"If calamity befalls the palace, what will you do?"
Suddenly recalling her words, his eyes sharpened.
'A crisis has struck the Wind God Palace.'
Immediately returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol stormed into Yu Un-ryong's office and barked an order.
"Un-ryong. Mobilize the entire information network. Gather every scrap of intelligence on the Wind God Palace's current situation and movements."
Yu Un-ryong was stunned by the sudden command.
"Everything?"
"Yes."
For a moment, Yu Un-ryong wore a dazed expression.
Bu Eun-seol's intelligence network now encompassed the Death Soul Squad of the Demon Hall, the Martial Soul Society, and even the elite forces of the Azure Heaven Alliance.
To concentrate that vast web of information all at once—
While it would yield rapid intelligence, it would also create a momentary void in their defensive espionage network.
"What if we redirect only part of it?"
"That would be too slow."
"You do realize how dangerous this is, right?"
"Of course."
Bu Eun-seol's reply was resolute.
"Execute it immediately."
"...Understood."
Without another word, Yu Un-ryong summoned his adjutant, Mu-gwang, and carried out Bu Eun-seol's orders exactly as given.
His instincts had never been wrong before. If he sensed something amiss, then surely something major had happened at the Wind God Palace.
And indeed, within days, Yu Un-ryong returned with shocking news.
"An enormous military force is moving toward the Wind God Palace. Even with all our intelligence networks mobilized, we can't identify them—it must be the Three Realms."
"The Three Realms?"
"Correct. For a force this large to move undetected by any Murim intelligence organization..."
Yu Un-ryong added grimly,
"Had you not specified the Wind God Palace, even the Death Soul Squad wouldn't have known they were heading there."
So that's how it was.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze dimmed.
Only now did he finally understand—
What Hae-yeon had been thinking when she sought him out.
Just how grave a mistake he had made.
This is entirely my fault.
Recalling the desolate smile Hae-yeon had given him as she turned away, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"Dispatch troops immediately."
"Absolutely not."
Yu Un-ryong shook his head.
"If you send our elite forces to aid the Wind God Palace, you'll have to relinquish your position as the Demon Hall's successor."
The Wind God Palace was, after all, a sect of the Righteous Path.
If he mobilized the Death Shadow War Unit to assist them in their crisis?
Bu Eun-seol would no longer be seen as a demonic practitioner—he'd be branded a traitor.
"Had rumors spread that you were betrothed to them, like with the Divine Maiden Palace, it might be different. But as it stands, you have no publicly known ties to the Wind God Palace."
Yu Un-ryong pressed further.
"Even if you publicly declared some connection now, the Demon Hall—no, the entire Demonic Path—would oppose sending reinforcements."
"Then send the Martial Soul Society's forces."
"The Martial Soul Society? That won't work either."
Yu Un-ryong objected.
"Even if the Four Great Divisions have been rigorously training, they still lack real combat experience."
The Four Great Divisions, led by Noe Bi-hon, Bing Han-pung, Dae Gu-hwi, and Do Cheon-rin, had been training relentlessly.
But their lack of battlefield experience meant throwing them into a large-scale battle now would be disastrous.
"Have the Death Shadow War Unit captains stationed in Sichuan assist in the battle."
Bu Eun-seol countered.
"Let the division leaders take overall command, but delegate small-unit leadership to the Death Shadow War Unit captains. That should serve as a stopgap."
The Death Shadow War Unit captains were not only seasoned in combat—in the worst-case scenario, they could combine their strength to manifest the Mind's Eye Mirror.
If they were to split the Martial Soul Society's divisions and take direct command on the battlefield?
They could compensate for the lack of experience in real time.
"And if the Martial Soul Society achieves a major victory here, it'll serve as a stepping stone for them to be recognized as a mainstream force in the Central Plains... A single strike, two gains."
"I understand what you're saying, but right now, all our intelligence networks are focused on monitoring the Wind God Palace."
Yu Un-ryong's expression darkened.
"If we send the Death Shadow War Unit captains as well, sooner or later—it'll be discovered that you deployed them to aid the Wind God Palace."
Then he added gravely,
"And it's not yet time to reveal that you're the Martial Soul Society Leader. Doing so would unravel the entire Grand Design."
"You're right."
Bu Eun-seol nodded—then said firmly,
"But we must proceed regardless."
"Why?"
"Because it's better than letting the Wind God Palace be annihilated."
Then, with absolute conviction, he added—
"And there'll be no risk of my identity being exposed. I intend to leave none of them alive."
"But—"
"What's the point of keeping secrets if I can't protect those closest to me?"
After a long silence, Yu Un-ryong finally relented with a nod.
Every one of Bu Eun-seol's plans prioritized the safety of his subordinates and those he cherished—
Even above the vengeance he so desperately sought.
So if he couldn't protect them?
The Grand Design would mean nothing.
"Understood."
Besides, Bu Eun-seol was no fool led by emotion—he was the Wise General, always thinking several steps ahead.
Even if his words sounded reckless—
Even if his identity as the Martial Soul Society Leader were exposed—
He would have already prepared contingencies.
"But."
Yu Un-ryong turned back as he spoke.
"Even if you are the Martial Soul Society Leader, you still need justification to mobilize such a large force."
"Tell the division leaders exactly this."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was ironclad.
"Tell them I am the Wind God Palace's Grand Duke."
Hae-yeon's chest tightened as she listened to the full story.
You truly are a wicked man.
After being so cold—
After turning away as if you'd never see me again—
You realized your mistake, regretted it, and now come to save me at the risk of your own life?
I had barely suppressed and buried these feelings.
She bit her lip.
From the moment she left him—
From the moment she returned alone to the Wind God Palace—
She had vowed never to see Bu Eun-seol again, no matter what.
But it was futile.
No—I could never have escaped him to begin with.
Hae-yeon finally understood.
Even if he rejected her heart—
Even if she kept pushing him away—
She would always, inescapably, be his woman.